Tennessee secures 1,000 acres to expand wildlife area

The Cowan Tunnel, or Cumberland Mountain Tunnel, is much the same, if a little deeper and wider, as it was when it was built in the mid-1800s. The tunnel is part of a private parcel acquired recently to connect the Hawkins Cove State Natural Area and Bear Hollow Wildlife Management Area in Franklin County, Tenn. The tunnel was instrumental during the Civil War and today is used numerous times a day by freight trains. The Cowan Tunnel, or Cumberland Mountain Tunnel, is much the same, if a little deeper and wider, as it was when it was built in the mid-1800s. The tunnel is part of a private parcel acquired recently to connect the Hawkins Cove State Natural Area and Bear Hollow Wildlife Management Area in Franklin County, Tenn. The tunnel was instrumental during the Civil War and today is used numerous times a day by freight trains.

By Associated Press December 30, 2021 1 min read

SHERWOOD, Tenn. (AP) – More than 1,000 acres (405 hectares) have been added to southcentral Tennessee’s Bear Hollow Mountain Wildlife Managment Area, connecting two sections of the WMA that were previously divided.

The Conservation Fund purchased the property in March 2021 to buy time for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to secure funds for its purchase. The property was officially transferred to the agency last week, according to a news release from The Conservation Fund.

The land is mostly forested with habitat for eight bat species of greatest conservation need in Tennessee, including three that are federally listed as threatened or endangered. The land also supports several federally listed plant species.

The 17,000-acre (6,880-hectare) Bear Hollow Mountain WMA has extensive hardwood forests. Some of the ridgetops have been cleared for the restoration of native warm grasses, providing habitat for migratory songbirds. The WMA has developed hiking trails and is popular for wildlife viewing and hunting.